The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it is working to verify reports concerning the alleged issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
The DOJ’s verification process was initiated after unconfirmed claims of the warrant’s issuance began circulating, targeting the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
Dela Rosa served as the initial chief of the PNP under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte and was the principal implementer of the government’s controversial “war on drugs.” The anti-narcotics campaign is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
The verification effort comes as the Philippines maintains its stance that it is no longer subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction, having officially withdrawn from the Rome Statute, the court’s founding treaty, in 2019. However, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber has asserted that it retains jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes that occurred while the country was still a member.